Corset-lacing device.



einen sfrars rara erica MARSHALL B. GARDNER, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOR TO THE INTERNATIONAL CORSET CO., OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, ACORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CORSET-LACING DEVICE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 9, 1909.

Application filed March 24, 1908. Serial No. 423,010.

To all whom it ,may concern:

Be it known that I, MARSHALL B. GARD- NER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Aurora, in the county of Kane and State otIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corset-Lacing Devices; and I do hereby declare that the `l'ollowing is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specii'ication.

This invention relates to corset lacing devices and more especially to ametal corset lacing eye which is directly connected with a metal staystrip or steel inserted in the rear margin of the corset.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and pointedout in the appended claims.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings-Figure l is a face view oftwo corset steels provided with metal lacing eyes and parts vof thefabric of the two sections of the corset with which said steels areconnected. Fig. 2 is a detail section on an enlarged scale, taken online 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken upon line 3 3 ofFig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail section taken upon line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

As shown in said drawings, A A indicate the stay strips or steels whichare inserted in pockets 'formed in the rear margins of the two halves ofthe corset, parts oi the fabric constituting the body of the corsetbeing indicated by B B in said Fig. l.

C, C indicate metal lacing loops or eyes which are loosely or flexiblyconnected with the steels A, A by U-shaped connecting members D D whichare thin and VFlat and preferably made of sheet metal.

E indicates a portion of one of the lacing strings which passes throughor is engaged with the lacing loops C, C.

therein extending vertically or in a direction lengthwise of the steels,so that the lacing string E, which extends alternately through thelacing loops on the two steels, has all of its parts substantially inthe plane oi' the meeting margins of the corset sections. The severalloops C, C are, moreover, loosely connected with the steels through thememedium of the connecting members D, Din a manner permitting the loopsto move or swing Said lacing1 loops C, C are arranged with apertures,

both laterallyand endwise with respect to the steels and to therebyadjust themselves to relative shifting movements of the steels and tovarying positions of the same with respect to each other.

New referring to the details of construction illustrated, the lacingloops and means l'or connecting the same with the steels, each loop andits connecting member D are made as Vl'ollows: As clearly seen in Figs.2, 3, and 4, each loop consists oll a larger outer part substantiallycylindric in shape to receive the lacing string, and ol' a smaller innerpart which is narrower both endwise and laterally than the outer partand is provided with a notch which opens into the larger part, and isadapted to receive the central portion of the connecting member D, whichlatter eX- tends lengthwise with respect to the steel A. The connectingmember D is shown as made ol' semicircular form and as consisting of allat plate or strip the ends ci' which overlap and are secured to thesteel. As a means ol' securing the said connecting member to the steel,the latter is shown as provided with two apertures a a through which theends ci' the connecting member are inserted and secured by bending orfolding the same against the side Yl'aces oi the steel. As illustrated,the opposite end portions ol' the connecting member are arranged atopposite sides of the steel and inserted in opposite directions throughthe holes a a. In order to bring the outer or main portion oi' the loop,through which the lacing strings eX- tends, closely adjacent to the edgeoi' the steel, the latter is shown as provided at its outer margin witha notch or depr ssion al, while the outwardly central part oi theconnecting member is arranged to extend across the central part o'l'said notch. As preferably constructed, the central part oi' theconnecting member extends only a short distance outside of the edge oi'the steel, while the notch is made deep enough to provide a space oropening between the bottom ol' the notch and the inner edge oi theconnecting member large enough for the passage oi' the inner part of theloop and to atlord l'ree swinging movement thereoiI when the loop turnsupon or about the connecting member.

The flat central p art oi the connecting member D occupies the notch inthe narrower inner portion of the loop C and bears at its inner edgeagainst the bottom oi' said notch. In

order to permit lateral swinging movement of the loop relatively to thesteel and at the same time prevent sidewise shifting movement of theinner end of the loop, said notch has its opposite sides in outwardlydivergent relation, so that the notch is of approximately V-shape,asclearly seen in Fig. 2. In order, moreover, to afl'ord a swivelingmovement of the loop with respect to the connecting member, the sides ofthe notch referred toare formed by means of two opposite central ribs cc which project inwardly from the sides of the notch and are made ofV-shape in cross-section, so as to have angular edges that bear onopposite sides of the connecting member, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.Said V-shaped ribs c c, arranged as described, serve to hold the innerend of the loop, containing the V-shaped notch referredV to, in centralposition relatively to the connecting member, while at the same timepermitting limited turning or swiveling movement ol' the loop upon itsown central axis, relatively to the connecting member.

From the construction described, it will be manifest that the outer partof the loop will be free to swing in a direction endwise of the steel,by reason of the engagement of its narrowed inner end with the inneredge of the connecting member, that it will be free to swing at its saidouter end laterally with respect to the flat connecting member, becauseof the V -shaped form of the notch and will be free to swivel or turn onits own longitudinal axis, by reason of the angular shape of the tworibs c c. The loop is thereby given capacity for universal movementrelatively to the steel, ermitting it to adjust itself freely in alldirections under the strain or pull of the lacing string thereon. Suchloose connection of the several loo s with the corset steel inconnection with t ie loops having the openings therein extending in adirection endwise of the steels, has the important advantage ofaffording very free movement of the lacing string through the loop,thereby enabling the lacing string to be easily drawn through the loopsand'tightening the same and permitting said string to adjust itselffreely, by slipping through the loops, under strains coming on thelacing strings when the corset is in use.

The cloth body of the corset where it extends around the steel A will'beprovided with a series of holes for the passage of the inner narrowerends of the loops, as indicated at b bin Fig. 1. The making of thesteels with the notches al and the'arrangement of the connecting membersD so that their central parts extend only slightly beyond or aresubstantially in line with the outer edges of the steel, has theadvantage of enabling the folded edge of the cloth in which is formedthe pocket for the steel, to be drawn or folded smoothly over the outeredge of the steel, as'clearly seen in Fig. l and making it unnecessarythat the holes b l) in the cloth should be any larger than required forthe passage of the loops themselves.

An important advantage is gained by making the portions of the loopwhich receive the lacing strings with thin metal walls extending in thedirection of the opening in the loop, for the reason that by thisconstruction the loops are made relatively narrow transversely or fromside to side, so that said hooks will give no undue thickness to thelacing devices. In other words, the lacing loops so made need be nothicker than, but will occupy even less space than the edge of thecorset as heretofore usually made with a marginal stay strip and lacingeyes, where the lacing strings pass through said lacing eyes and extendover the opposite sides of the stay strip, which is outside of thelacing eyes. i

By making the connecting member D of U-sha-pe, or of the form of astaple, the ends of which are attached to the steel, the loops may bemade continuous or in one piece and the parts readily assembled byinserting the connecting member through the loop and then attaching itsends to the steel. Moreover, the making of the said connecting member offiat form, or of sheet metal, has the advantage that when so made itdoes not materially add to the thickness of the steel. So far as theother features of the invention are concerned, however, said connectingmembers may be of any desired form or construction, and I do not desireto be limited to the particular construction illustrated in saidconnecting members. Moreover, so far as the general features ofconstruction in the lacing loops are concerned, the details ofconstruction may be variously modified, and l do not, therefore, desireto be `limited to the specific features illustrated except as set forthin the appended claims.

l claim as my invention l. The combination with a corset steel, of alacing loop having its eye or opening extending oin a directionlengthwise of the steel, and a thin, flat, U-shaped connecting memberrigidly attached at its ends to` the steel with its central partextending outside the margin of the same and engaged in the said loop.

2. The combination with a corset steel, of a lacing loop having its eyeor opening extending in a direction lengthwise ofthe steel, and a thin,liat connecting member of U- shape, the ends of which rest latwiseagainst the steel, and the central part of which extends outside of themargin of the steel and is engaged in said loop, the steel being rovidedwith two apertures and the ends o` the loop being inserted through saidapertures and folded against the steel.

3. rllhe combination with' a corset steel,

of a lacing loop having the opening therein wardly divergent facesgiving substantially extending in a direction lengthwise of the steel,and a flat meta-l connecting member secured to the steel and engaged inthe loop; the opening in said loop having a narrow inner part or notchto receive said connecting member.

4. The combination with a corset steel, of a lacing loop having anopening therein extending in a direction lengthwise of the steel, saidopening having a larger outer part for the passage of the lacing string,and anarrower inner part orwnotch, and a flat metal connecting membersecured to the steel and engaged in said notch of the loop, said notchhaving outwardly divergent side faces, giving substantially V-form tothe notch.

5. The combination with a corset steel, of

connecting member secured to the steel and 1 engaged in the notch, saidnotch having out- V-form to the notch and having opposite angular ribson its inner face permitting swiveling movement of the loop upon the'Hat connecting member.

6. The combination with a corset steel having a notch in its outer edge,of a lacing loop having the opening therein extending in a directionlengthwise of the steel, and a thin, ilat U-shaped connecting member,the ends of which overlap and are rigidly attached iiatwise to the steelat the sides of the said notch, and the central part of which extendsacross said notch with its inner margin inside of the line at the outeredge of the steel and is engaged in said loop.

In testimony, that l claim the foregoing as my invention l affix mysignature in the presence of two witnesses, this 18th day of March A. D.1908.

li/IARSHALL B. GARDNER.

llitnesses:

Bnss L. PFRANGLE, THADDEUs J. MERRILL.

